Feed mechanism for acetylene-gas generators.



No. 839,565. PATENTED DEC. 25, 1906.

A. G. EINSTEIN.

FEBD'MEGH ANISM FOR AOBTYLENE GAS GENERATORS. APPLICATION rILnn mm: 27, 1904.

. "WWW |lll| "NIH rue: NORRIS PETERS ca, WASNINGTBH. n- C UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED G. EINSTEIN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 25, 1906.

Application fil d June 27,1904. Serial No. 214,274.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED C. EINSTEIN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feed Mechanisms for Acetylene- Gas Generators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to mechanism for feeding determined and uniform quantities of calcium carbid in acetylene-gas generators.

Figure I is a vertical section taken through parts of an acetylene-gas apparatus with my feed mechanism therein. Fig. 11 is a horizontal section taken on line H 11, Fig. I. Fig. 111 is a perspective view of the feedplate. Fig. 1V is an elevation showing in detail the escapement mechanism by which the feed-plate is controlled.

1 designates a portion of a gasometer-bell of an acetylene-gas apparatus, and 2 is an arm carried by said bell.

3 designates a generator-tank, in the upper end of which is a carbid hopper or holder 4. Within said hopper is an inclined chute 5, from which the carbid is discharged at the lower end 6.

7 designates an inclined rotatable feedplate positioned beneath the chute 5 and having its greatest elevation beneath the lower end of said chute, the lower end of the chute being so disposed above the feed-plate that it will discharge carbid thereonto rearwardly from the highest point of the plate relative to the direction of the plates rotation. The feed-plate operates through a discharge cut-away portion 4 at the lower end of the hopper 4. Surmounting the feedplate at its center is a boss 8, and extending from said boss are radial partitions 9, which are preferably of increased height at their inner ends over the height of their outer ends. These partitions subdivide the top surface of the feed-plate into pockets into which carbid falls as it descends from the chute 5. The feed-plate 7 is carried by a rotatable shaft 10, that is journaled in a supporting-frame consisting of bearing members 11 and 12. On the shaft 10 is a bevel-pinion 13, that meshes with a bevel-pinon 14, carried by a horizontal shaft 15, which is journaled in the bearing-yoke 16, secured to the bearing member 12 in the generator-tankB. The shaft 15 has fixed to its outer end exterior of the generator-tank an escapement-wheel 17.

18 is an escapement-lever pivoted at 19 to the generator-tank 3. (See Fig. IV.) This lever is provided with pawls 20 and 21, and its outwardly-extending arm is normally yieldingly upheld by a spring 22. The arm of said lever is in a position to be engaged by the arm 2, carried by the gasometer-bell 1, so that when said bell descends upon the occurrence of depletion of gas therein the escapement-lever'will be rocked to free the escapement-wheel 17.

In the practical use of my feed mechanism the operation is as follows: Calcium carbid having been introduced into the hopper 4 descends from the chute 5 into the pocket beneath the lower end of said chute until it fills said pocket, and in putting the mechanism in condition for automatic feeding action the feed-plate is rotated sulliciently to cause a series of the pockets to become filled and advanced in the direction indicated by the arrow, Fig. II, toward the discharge cutaway portion 4 of the hopper. Thereafter the carbid is intermittently delivered from the feed-plate, due to the propulsion of the feed-plate by weight action of the carbid lying thereupon in advance of the point of delivery of the carbid, the rotation of the plate being governed by the escapement mechanism when gas becomes depleted in the gasometer-bell to a sufficient degree to occasion descent of the bell until the arm 2, carried thereby, strikes the arm of the escapementlever 18. \Vhen the engagement of these parts occurs, the pawl 20 of the escapementlever is withdrawn from engagement with a previously-engaged tooth of the escapement wheel 17, and the pawl 21 is moved to said wheel, at which time the escapement-wheel is freed to permit free rotation of the shafts 15 and 10. The feed-plate is therefore permitted to rotate in a forward direction to a sufficient degree to bring the foremost filled pocket of said plate to the discharge-point of the carbidhopper, due to the weight-propelling action of the carbid occupying the downwardly-moving portion of the feed-plate.

It will be seen that another of the feedplate pockets will at this time be brought beneath the discharge end of the chute 5 to receive carbid from the chute and be filled ready to advance with the previously-filled pockets. It is also to be noted that after the partially-filled feed-plate has been put in amounts.

condition for automatic action by filling the advancing pockets there is constantly a multiplicity of filled pockets in advance of the point of discharge from the chute 5.-and only a single filled pocket at the carbid-receiving point, and therefore the weight of carbid in a multiplicity of advancing pockets is an excess of that in a single receiving-pocket, as a consequence of which it is always possible for thecarbid upon the advancing portion of the feed-plate to exert, by its greater weight,

force for the plates rotation when the plategoverning mechanism is free.

rnent mechanism described suflicient gas again-becomes present in the gasometer to elevate its bell. The arm 2 is removed from engagement with the escapement-lever 18,

and the spring 22returns said lever to its normal position, thereby-causing the pawl 20 of thelever to again engage the escapementwheel 17 and holdsaid wheel from rotation u-nti l the bell again descends to renewact'ua- 'tion of the escapement-lever.

I claim as my invention 1. An acetylene-gas generator comprising a carbid-holderhaving an extension onits lower end, a-chute in said holder, and an inclined rotatably-rnounted feed member located within the extension of the holder;

said extension having a feedopening therein and the feed-plate having its upper portion lower end, a chute in said holder, and an inclined rotatably-mounted feed-plate located within the extension of said holder and divided into compartments; said extension having a feed-opening at its lower end and said feed-plate having its upper portion-located directly beneath the lower end of said chute and having its lower portion extending to said feed-opening.

3. An acetylene-gas generator comprising a carbid-holder having an extension on its lower end, a chute insaid holder, and-an inclined rotatably-mounte'd feed-plate located within the extension of said holder and having radial partitions dividing the plate into compartments; said extension having a feedopening at its lower end and said feed-plate having its upper portion located directly beneath the lower end of said chute and having its lower end extending to said feed-opening, whereby the carbid-entering at the upper end rotates the feed-plate by gravity and is discharged through the feed-opening at the lower end of the plate.

ALFRED C. EINSTEIN. In presence of E. S. KNIGHT, -BLANCHE HOGAN 

